Have you ever wondered how to correctly install
wire rope clips
and what the phrase "Never saddle a dead horse." means? Below you will find
our informative video explaining these things.
If you need help selecting the best wire rope clip for your project, head over
to our
YouTube Channel
or
Wire Rope Clip
page for more videos and information.
If you would prefer simple text and picture explanations of the information,
keep reading.
If you have any questions, please contact our team using the link at the end
of the article. We look forward to helping you get your next rigging project
started.
If you are looking to form an eye in your wire rope or needing to join two
cables together with a lap splice, below you will find information on how to
make that connection using wire rope clips.
Terminology
A good foundation for installing these clips properly is knowing the
terminology.
Parts of the
Wire Rope Clip
The parts of the clip are: the saddle, sometimes called the base or body,
u-bolt, and nuts.
Live End
The live end of the cable is the longer portion of the cable that extends to
the other connection point. It will be holding the load.
Dead End
The dead end is the short portion that is turned back just so the wire rope
clips have something else to grab.
Termination
When the clips are used to make an eye or an end on the cable, it is called a
termination.
Assembly
The entire group of components is called an assembly.
Turnback
Turnback is the length of the cable from the base of the eye to the end of the
dead end.
“Never Saddle a Dead Horse”
It means to never apply the saddle of the clip to the dead end of the rope.
Materials Needed
A tape measure, seizing tape, a torque wrench,
reference information, and the proper size clips for your
cable.
On our
wire rope clip
page, you will find reference information, such as, the number of clips
required for each termination, the amount of torque to apply to the nuts, and
the turnback length.
Prepping for Assembly
Cut off any unraveled or kinked portion of the cable. It is best to seize the
cable with tape before cutting to keep the end tight. If you don’t need to cut
the cable, be sure to wrap it tightly to keep the structure of the cable in
its intended form.
For larger cable, soft wire may be a better choice to hold the cable end
together.
Measuring Turnback
Turnback is the length of the cable from the base of the eye to the end of the
dead end.
First, measure and mark the turnback length specified in your reference
material.
Next, determine how large the eye in your cable will be and mark the live end
of the cable where the turnback mark is.
Lastly, mark the live end where the dead-end ends.
Applying Wire Rope Clips
“Never Saddle a Dead Horse” is a common phrase to help people remember the
proper orientation to apply the clip. It means to never apply the saddle of
the clip to the dead end of the rope.
Line up your markings and apply the first clip to the assembly.
Space the wire rope clip one saddle length from the end of the dead end.
Tighten and torque the nuts being sure they are clean, dry, and free from
lubrication.
Alternate between the nuts to ensure even pressure. The use of a torque wrench
will help to achieve the recommended torque required for holding the load.
Be careful not to over-tighten the nuts as it can permanently kink the wire
rope and lead to premature failure.
Apply the second clip to the assembly, remembering to put the saddle on the
live end.
Push it snug up against the thimble. If you aren’t using a thimble push it up
to the lines you’ve marked earlier.
Hand tighten the nuts, remembering to alternate between the nuts for even
pressure.
If your assembly requires 3 or more clips, space them evenly between the first
two clips you applied, remembering to never saddle a dead horse and to never
alternate the clip orientation.
Begin tightening the remaining clips starting with the clip closest to the
dead end and working back to the eye.
Remove any slack in the cable between the clips by pushing the slack to the
eye as you work your way down tightening all the clips in the termination.
After tightening all of the clips, it is important to do a first load on the
assembly to seat all of the components.
Load the assembly with a load equal or greater to the load you expect it to
see in service.
Inspect, tighten, and re-torque all the clips.
Now, your wire rope clip cable assembly is ready for service.
After proper assembly, a wire rope clip termination can be expected to hold
80% of the breaking strength of the wire rope for cable diameters 1/8”
through 7/8”.
This number is typically referred to as termination efficiency.
Sizes 1” through 3 ½” has a termination efficiency of 90%.
For comparison, a swaged sleeve termination has a termination efficiency of
90% to 96%.
Reusing
Wire Rope Clips
A benefit of using wire rope clips instead of swaged sleeves for making a
termination is their ability to be reused, but there are some precautions
you should take to ensure your wire rope clip is still fit for service.
The first thing to check is to make sure the u-bolt fits into the saddle
with no force required. If it is difficult to mate these two components your
U-bolt or saddle may be bent, and you should discard the clip.
Check the threads on the u-bolt to make sure they aren’t damaged, and that
the nuts thread onto them easily.
Inspect the peaks and ridges on the saddle for damage or gouging.
Lastly, when installing the reused clips, ensure they can accept the
recommended torque.
If you are using a pulley as a thimble, add 1 more clip to the assembly
being sure to space the clips at least 1 saddle length apart from each
other. The first clip near the pulley should be 1 pulley diameter distance
from the center of the pulley and achieve a 60 degree included angle between
the live and dead end.
Fist grip clips are a newer take on wire rope clips and are designed to make
installation easier. Their saddles are mirrored allowing them to be
installed in any orientation relative to the live and dead ends of the rope
ensuring you can’t saddle a dead horse. In addition, they only have one nut
on each side so a wrench can rotate freely when tightening.
To install, use the same procedure as traditional wire rope clips, but be
sure to check our
Fist Grip Clip page for the
minimum number of clips required and recommended turnback and torque values.
Creating an Assembly with
Vinyl Coated Cable
The size of vinyl coated cable and the wire rope clips that fit may be
confusing as some manufacturers measure different things. At E-Rigging, we
list vinyl coated cable by the cable diameter.
The coating adds thickness, which is called the finished or final diameter,
and is listed on our website’s
product pages
. It typically coincides with the next size larger cable or clip.
For example, 3/16” vinyl coated cable is coated to ¼” diameter. After you
strip the coating off of the cable, it will still be 3/16” so you’d use a
3/16” clip.
Stripping
Vinyl Coated Cable
Stripping the vinyl off of the cable in the area where the clips will be
installed is recommended for maximum strength.
Measure and mark the cable and turnback just as you would if the cable was
uncoated. Where the end of the dead end meets the live end is where you’ll
want to start stripping.
Once marked, strip the vinyl coating off and apply the clips just as you
normally would on uncoated cable.
Applying
Wire Rope Clips
over
Vinyl Coated Cable
Applying wire rope clips over vinyl coated cable may be preferable to
achieve a certain look or feel, or when corrosion resistance is valued over
strength.
Please note that applying the wire rope clips over the vinyl coating will greatly reduce the strength, and you should test your connections before use. Never use this method for critical applications as the load holding properties are severely reduced and unpredictable.
To size the connection properly, measure the outside diameter of the coated
cable,
or look to our
product specifications
page.
If the coated or finished diameter is ¼”, use a ¼” wire rope clip.
Lap Splice
The preferred method for splicing two cables together using wire rope clips
is forming two interconnected eyes,
but for less critical applications, a lap splice can be used.
Overlap the two seized ends of the wire rope by twice the amount of turnback
used in a traditional eye termination.
Using twice the number of clips required for a single eye termination, place
the first clip one saddle length from the end of one of the dead ends,
ensuring you don’t saddle a dead horse.
Tighten and torque that clip to the recommend torque value.
Work your way down the length of the cable equally spacing and hand
tightening the clips.
Remove any slack in the line between clips as you work your way down.
Once you’ve used half of the clips, reverse their orientation to saddle
the live end of the other portion of rope.
Once all of the clips have been applied and the slack removed, work from the
first clip you installed and tighten and torque all the remaining clips.
The process is even easier for fist grip clips because saddle orientation
doesn’t matter due to their mirrored design.
Single and Double stamped cable clamps require a slightly different assembly
procedure.
First, make sure the cable’s final diameter matches the clip you are using.
Then, seize the end of the cable.
Unscrew the nuts and remove the top plate.
Place the cable into the body of the clip and work it into the grooves and
around the bolts, leaving at least 2 cable diameters of dead end protruding
from the body.
Form the eye to the size you require and work the cable into the other side.
Place the top plate onto the body to capture the cable and tighten the nuts
by hand.
Use a wrench for final tightening while alternating between nuts to ensure
equal pressure.
If you wish, trim and seize any excess dead-end protruding from the clip,
being sure to leave at least 2 cable diameters.
For single stamped cable clamps use the same guidelines as you would for a
double stamped clamp.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to
contact us, and please subscribe to our
YouTube channel
for more videos on various rigging topics.
1 comment
Sam Andrews
My wife has a friend who works at a warehouse and handles package lifting every single day. Hence, it’s nice to know that wire rope clips must be attached to a strong grip to prevent them from slipping away. Maybe she should pay close attention to this option when purchasing some equipment later. https://www.iwrlifting.com.au/products